There is always that one guy.
For the Lancaster Barnstormers, the top hitting club in the Atlantic League, that one guy seems to be York Revolution right-hander Curtis Partch.
Partch allowed seven hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings, beating the Barnstormers for the second time in six days, as York topped Lancaster, 4-2, in the opener of a three-game series at Peoples Bank Park.
Lancaster struck for a run in the first inning as Rico Noel was hit by a pitch, stole second, took third on a Caleb Gindl fly ball and scored on a line single down the right field line by K.C. Hobson.
It would be five innings before the Barnstormers would again send more than three men to the plate.
York responded with an unearned run off Nate Reed (0-3) in the bottom of the first. Isaias Tejeda and Joel Guzman reached on consecutive two-out ground singles. Angel Franco followed with a line drive to center that was fumbled by Darian Sandford, allowing a run to score.
The third inning proved to be the difference. Reed hit Travis Witherspoon with an 0-2 pitch to start the inning. Alonzo Harris, behind 1-2 in the count, chopped a perfect hit-and-run single through the right side, sending Witherspoon to third. Tejeda broke the tie with a double off the wall in left, and Harris crossed the plate on a Guzman grounder for a 3-1 edge.
York would score again in the fifth on a Reed wild pitch for a 4-1 lead.
Lancaster had its chances for the rest of the night. Tyler Clark led off the sixth with a single, and Sandford blooped a double down the right field line to put runners at second and third. Noel brought one across with a grounder, but the inning died from there.
The Barnstormers loaded the bases in the seventh on an pair of infield singles and a hit batter, but Luke Westphal struck out Clark and got Sandford to ground to first to quell the threat. Noel walked to lead off the eighth and was stranded despite stealing second and third.
Brad Allen got Vladimir Frias to ground into a double play after Lastings Milledge’s third hit of the night to end the game. Allen was awarded his fifth save.
Bryan Evans (2-2) will make the start on Saturday against lefty Logan Williamson (1-4). Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, starting at 6:15.
NOTES: Noel has 11 steals in 14 games…He has scored 14 runs and knocked in eight…Clark had two singles to extend his streak to five games…The Barnstormers staff reached 10 strikeouts for the 20th time this season…The bullpen retired the final eight York batters of the night, four on strikes.